New Delhi: Asserting that it is committed to farmers’ interest and farming, the government Tuesday said in Lok Sabha that there was no need to have a separate budget for agriculture. Replying to a question in the Lower House, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said keeping a separate budget for agriculture would neither benefit the country nor the farmers.
Tomar was replying to a question asked by DMK member TR Baalu as to why the government does not consider bringing a separate budget for agriculture to address the problems of the farmers.
During global recession, the DMK member said, India ‘withstood’ because of agriculture. “Our Chief Minister MK Stalin brought a separate agriculture budget in Tamil Nadu,” Baalu said.
Replying to the DMK leader’s question, Tomar said, “It will naturally be liked by everyone what he (Baalu) has suggested.”
Tomar noted that there used to be a separate budget for Railways earlier. However, the government brought reforms and merged the Railway Budget with the main budget, Tomar pointed out.
“If we analyse, we will see a vast difference in railway budget implementation (since its merger with the main budget),” Tomar told the House during Question Hour. “The budget, whether one or two, should have a direction, adequate provisions and spirit to implement them,” Tomar added.
The minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is ‘fully committed’ to the farmers’ interest and farming. “Keeping a separate budget (for agriculture), taking out allocations from the main budget, would neither benefit the country nor the farmers,” asserted Tomar.